Read Online Coast Road by Barbara Delinsky - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Delinsky
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nervous glances at the road, she pressed another button, then another, then another. "Do you ever listen to music? " "What was that a second ago? " Jack asked.
Samantha was working the manual controls. "Geek chords, and we won't be able to get anything good here, the reception stinks." She flicked off the radio, clutched the hand loop above her door, and fixed alert eyes on the road.
Jack slowed the car to take the first of a series of turns. "What do you normally listen to? " "CDs Samantha snapped.
Hope shot her a timid glance. "Mom listens to news."
"Not when one of us is lying half dead in a hospital room."
"Your mother isn't half dead, " Jack told Samantha.
"She's in a coma. What would you call that? People in comas die just as easily as not. Lydia had an uncle who was in a coma for months until they finally took him off the machines, and then he was dead in five minutes."
"Your mother's situation is entirely different. She isn't even on life support. The only machines in the room are ones to monitor her vital signs so they'll know if anything changes. She's�" "Look! " Samantha pointed. "That's where it happened. See where the guardrail's gone, and all the mess of the dirt on the road where there isn't supposed to be dirt? That is where it happened, isn't it? " she charged, swiveling to watch as they passed the spot. "Slow down. I want to see." Jack kept driving. "There's nothing to see. The car's been towed. It's probably already in the shop." Both girls were looking out the back window. "Katherine said she was hit Samantha said. "What happened to the other driver? " "I don't know Jack lied.
She flopped forward again. "You do, but you're not saying. I can tell by your voice. Mom would want us to know." Jack doubted that very strongly, but it was beside the point. Annoyed at being pitted against Rachel, he said, "Right now, your mother would want you to say good things or nothing at all."
"That's what you'd say, not what she'd say. She'd want us to say what we think, and what I think is that this accident was more serious than you're saying, which means we're all in big trouble. What if she doesn't wake up? " "She'll wake up."
"I'm not going to live in San Francisco. My friends are all here. I'm not moving."
"Good God, you have your mother dead and buried, " Jack charged.
"Daddy? " came a frightened cry from behind.
He found Hope's face in the rearview mirror. "She's not dying, Hope.
She'll be okay. I told you that, and I mean it. She was in an accident barely twelve hours ago. This is the worst of it. From here on it's about getting better. Let's take it one step at a time. For all we know, by the time we get to the hospital, your mother will be awake and asking for breakfast." RACHEL WASN'T asking for anything.
She was as unresponsive when they arrived as she had been when Jack had seen her earlier. The tightness in his middle was back, the shock of seeing her this way, the fear that in the next breath she would be gone.
"She's sleeping Hope whispered, and for a minute he thought she might be right. Aside from the bruise, Rachel looked almost normal. She might well have emerged from the coma and fallen into an innocent sleep. The doctor might have tried to call him in the car and been unable to get through. Car phones were iffy that way.
He approached the bed, hoping, hoping. He rubbed her cheek. When she didn't respond, he gave her hand a squeeze. "Rachel? " "Don't bother her Hope cried in a fearful tone.
Samantha said nothing. Her eyes were wide, her face pale.
Backing to the open half of the sliding glass door, Jack stood with the girls while they adjusted to the scene, and he readjusted to Rachel's not having changed. When he had his disappointment in check, he said a quiet "See? No respirators, no life supports. She broke her leg.
There's the cast. She cut her hand, so that's bandaged, and the bruises on her face are where she banged it against the car. Remember when you got a tennis ball in
Samantha was working the manual controls. "Geek chords, and we won't be able to get anything good here, the reception stinks." She flicked off the radio, clutched the hand loop above her door, and fixed alert eyes on the road.
Jack slowed the car to take the first of a series of turns. "What do you normally listen to? " "CDs Samantha snapped.
Hope shot her a timid glance. "Mom listens to news."
"Not when one of us is lying half dead in a hospital room."
"Your mother isn't half dead, " Jack told Samantha.
"She's in a coma. What would you call that? People in comas die just as easily as not. Lydia had an uncle who was in a coma for months until they finally took him off the machines, and then he was dead in five minutes."
"Your mother's situation is entirely different. She isn't even on life support. The only machines in the room are ones to monitor her vital signs so they'll know if anything changes. She's�" "Look! " Samantha pointed. "That's where it happened. See where the guardrail's gone, and all the mess of the dirt on the road where there isn't supposed to be dirt? That is where it happened, isn't it? " she charged, swiveling to watch as they passed the spot. "Slow down. I want to see." Jack kept driving. "There's nothing to see. The car's been towed. It's probably already in the shop." Both girls were looking out the back window. "Katherine said she was hit Samantha said. "What happened to the other driver? " "I don't know Jack lied.
She flopped forward again. "You do, but you're not saying. I can tell by your voice. Mom would want us to know." Jack doubted that very strongly, but it was beside the point. Annoyed at being pitted against Rachel, he said, "Right now, your mother would want you to say good things or nothing at all."
"That's what you'd say, not what she'd say. She'd want us to say what we think, and what I think is that this accident was more serious than you're saying, which means we're all in big trouble. What if she doesn't wake up? " "She'll wake up."
"I'm not going to live in San Francisco. My friends are all here. I'm not moving."
"Good God, you have your mother dead and buried, " Jack charged.
"Daddy? " came a frightened cry from behind.
He found Hope's face in the rearview mirror. "She's not dying, Hope.
She'll be okay. I told you that, and I mean it. She was in an accident barely twelve hours ago. This is the worst of it. From here on it's about getting better. Let's take it one step at a time. For all we know, by the time we get to the hospital, your mother will be awake and asking for breakfast." RACHEL WASN'T asking for anything.
She was as unresponsive when they arrived as she had been when Jack had seen her earlier. The tightness in his middle was back, the shock of seeing her this way, the fear that in the next breath she would be gone.
"She's sleeping Hope whispered, and for a minute he thought she might be right. Aside from the bruise, Rachel looked almost normal. She might well have emerged from the coma and fallen into an innocent sleep. The doctor might have tried to call him in the car and been unable to get through. Car phones were iffy that way.
He approached the bed, hoping, hoping. He rubbed her cheek. When she didn't respond, he gave her hand a squeeze. "Rachel? " "Don't bother her Hope cried in a fearful tone.
Samantha said nothing. Her eyes were wide, her face pale.
Backing to the open half of the sliding glass door, Jack stood with the girls while they adjusted to the scene, and he readjusted to Rachel's not having changed. When he had his disappointment in check, he said a quiet "See? No respirators, no life supports. She broke her leg.
There's the cast. She cut her hand, so that's bandaged, and the bruises on her face are where she banged it against the car. Remember when you got a tennis ball in
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